This is some great news from Geekzone (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=2554) :
Royal Philips Electronics, Sony Corporation and E Ink Corporation announced today the world's first consumer application of an electronic paper display module in Sony's new e-Book reader, LIBRIe, scheduled to go on sale in Japan in late April. This first ever Philips' display utilizes E Ink's revolutionary electronic ink technology which offers a truly paper-like reading experience with contrast that is the same as newsprint.

This is soooo great for us eBook fans. Look at the features:

reflective display (can be easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments)
black and white ink-on-paper look
a resolution of approximately 170 pixels per inch (PPI) - more than any other portable device has!
read more than 10,000 pages (imagine a standard book with 250 pages - this equals to 40 books!) before replacing the four AAA Alkaline batteries
compact and lightweight form factor
allows users to download published content, such as books or comic strips from the Internet
can store up to 500 downloaded books


I promise, once this thing is out and available in my country, I will buy it!

SonyStyle Japan has some more info on the Sony Librie EBR-1000EP available (link (http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/peg/Store/Librie/index.html ))

Some more interesting facts:

- retail price in Japan: 41,790 JPY ~ 390 USD
- uses Sony eBook format called Broad Band eBook (BBeB)
- Sony's eBook distributor is Timebook Town (http://www.publishinglink.jp)
- protected Sony eBooks will stop working after 60 days of use

- display panel: E INK system electronic paper
- resolution: SVGA (800×600), approximately 170ppi (Pixel Per Inch)
- screen size: 6 inches
- display color: 4 grey scales, black and white (but hey, it is just a book reader!)
- battery life time: approximately 10,000 book pages
- interfaces: Memorystick (+Pro), USB, headphone
- other features: dictionary search, audio correspondence (speaker, headphone jack)
- power source: 4 AAA alkaline batteries, AC adapter
- built-in memory: approximately 10MB
- size: 126mm×190mm×13mm
- weight: approximately 190g (without batteries)

The question is, would YOU buy it? I probably would (and stick to my old PDA).

Depending on the price....I don't think so. I like reading on my current devices, and the dedicated ebook reader would have to seriously compete price-wise for me to lash out and buy it. I will also flat out refuse to buy any book that expires in 60 days!

Having said that, if you can buy and use other book formats, and the price becomes reasonable (for a dedicated reader you can't do anything else with).... Who knows?? :)

Craig.

SonyStyle Japan has some more info on the Sony Librie EBR-1000EP available (link (http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/peg/Store/Librie/index.html ))

Some more interesting facts:

- retail price in Japan: 41,790 JPY ~ 390 USD
- uses Sony eBook format called Broad Band eBook (BBeB)
- Sony's eBook distributor is Timebook Town (http://www.publishinglink.jp)
- protected Sony eBooks will stop working after 60 days of use

- display panel: E INK system electronic paper
- resolution: SVGA (800×600), approximately 170ppi (Pixel Per Inch)
- screen size: 6 inches
- display color: 4 grey scales, black and white (but hey, it is just a book reader!)
- battery life time: approximately 10,000 book pages
- interfaces: Memorystick (+Pro), USB, headphone
- other features: dictionary search, audio correspondence (speaker, headphone jack)
- power source: 4 AAA alkaline batteries, AC adapter
- built-in memory: approximately 10MB
- size: 126mm×190mm×13mm
- weight: approximately 190g (without batteries)

The question is, would YOU buy it? I probably would (and stick to my old PDA).


At the moment I think you are better off with a "normal" PDA. This thing is only for reading and although the resolution is big step forward, I would miss the interactive features of a real os. In my opinion it is a nice to have, like all the other ebooks-read-only solutions, but not really necesarry. I wonder what the first PDA with ePaper-Display (ePD ;) will look alike and how long its battery will last.

Chad Sichello of Second Chance Publishers on his first experience with the Librie:
They have one at the Sony Building in Ginza in Tokyo, I went there this weekend and played with it.

The display is superior in contrast, brightness and sharpness to any PDA screen. There is virtually no glare under lights and the words appear as if they are right on the surface of the screen, rather than behind a plastic filter (like current active and backlit screens).

When they say on their website that "moji ga kirei" (the words are beautiful), they really do mean it. The quality is 170dpi (low-quality laser print) and is superior to a newspapers quality. The screen is far superior to the Panasonic SigmaBook and Toshiba's new colour ebook (both standard lcd/active technology).

Thats all great news. I only hope it is not true that the official Sony software does not include tools to convert ebooks outside the officially approved format (BBeB) :(

Otherwise we'd have to wait until someone cracks the DRM...

Btw, just look at the quality of the screen even when viewed from a weird angle...amazing!

Thats all great news. I only hope it is not true that the official Sony software does not include tools to convert ebooks outside the officially approved format (BBeB) :(

Otherwise we'd have to wait until someone cracks the DRM...
Which probably wouldn't be too long. Slashdot links today to the Linux for iPod project, (http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/) which has developed an operable Linux kernal for the extremely closed-source iPod through some reverse engineering and trial and error. And once the epaper technology is established, it surely won't be long before it is used for other readers. This reader is beautiful, but it's a bit big for me. I like my Palm because it's pocket-sized and I can read it anywhere...

This reader is beautiful, but it's a bit big for me. I like my Palm because it's pocket-sized and I can read it anywhere...
But think about the future health of your eyes... ;)

But think about the future health of your eyes... ;)
It's true. I already can't read the "smallest" size in iSilo. (Can anyone?!)

Smallest was my standard viewing size when I read on my Clie. Smallest size on the ipaq (even with cleartype enabled) is not so great, but "small" is absolutely perfect! :)

Craig.

Does anyone know when the LIBRIe is expected to reach the US markets?

http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/news/298409

Haha...I love that pic. You know that it will eventually be the main use for using e-book. I can already see a potential market..........

The Guardian Unlimited has a nice sneak preview (http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1197495,00.html) of the upcoming Librie. Things that were new to me:

The ebook reader (the Librie EBR-1000EP) launches in Japan on Saturday
Yeah! Expect more reviews coming next week then :lost:

The quality of the display will come as quite a shock to any seasoned user of mobile devices; it looks more like paper than the computer screen it is.
I don't mind this kind of shock.

At power-up, the Librie presents the ubiquitous Japanese cartoon character to guide you through the electronic library. The mascot is called Libro, after Ukita's three-year-old miniature Schnauzer, whom he acquired in 2001 just as the ebook project was getting off the ground.
Libro sounds like one of those very annoying Microsoft Office helpers :p

A single book can handle up to 40 bookmarks, each of which can be annotated, while further notes and text excerpts can be kept in a separate clipboard application.
Not sure why there is a limitation of 40 bookmarks; anyways, it should be enough for the standard read (not sure about scientific works though).

The BBeB specification was developed by Sony to shrink the text of a 250-page book into around 500kb and to incorporate Open MG copy protection to prevent unlimited content copying.
Open MG protection requires special memory sticks, right?

The result is a 6in screen with a resolution of 600x800 dots at 170dpi, considerably sharper than the 70-90dpi of a regular computer display. This allows for increasing the text size up to 200% with no degradation.
My eyes will be grateful! I think I've starred long enough at those tiny PDA screens.

One much-repeated fallacy about the Librie is that power is used only for turning pages. While it is true that the "ink" particles stay in position without consuming power, the electronic innards do drain the juice, hence the inclusion of a standby mode.
Question is if the standby mode is activated as soon as there is no user activitiy.

In his enthusiasm, Ukita lets slip that flexible electronic paper which can handle Harry Potter-esque moving images and colour is in the research and development labs and may be just two to three years away.
I'm drooling...

...transferred to the reader via its USB 2.0 port or by using a Memory Stick.
USB 2.0. Nice improvement.

Sony offers the efficient Libriè LE for Windows ebook emulator as a free download...
Very interesting! Google -> http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/LIBRIE/download/ -> http://www.aii.co.jp/contents/smojsdmk/LIBRIE/InstallLIBRIeLE.exe
(haven't installed it yet, will report later)

"For those of us who love the smell and feel of paper, the art of bookbinding, cloth covers with foil stamps and all the rest of the touches that make a book something to covet, ebooks just aren't a very exciting alternative. Nor are they a realistic threat - yet."
Whatever!


Btw, according to this NYT article (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/technology/circuits/22read.html), Sony wants to wait to see how well the Librié sells at home before deciding whether to offer it in the United States and Europe. :shout:

Sony Linux OS! Hadn't heard of that before...

Is there an English version of that prog?

I haven't seen an English version yet. What is interesting is the .OCM files, which are Sony's DRM system. I am not sure how they are encrypted (don't look like standard windows executables), but definitely interesting!

Hands on review of the Librie... unfortunately it looks like DRM only for now.

http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/002571.html

Hands on review of the Librie... unfortunately it looks like DRM only for now.

http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/002571.html
That is a good review. Thank you!

I agree, DRM and slow screen refresh are features I could easily live without :(

Probably our rescue is the fact that the OS is Linux-based and thus available as open-source:

http://www.sony.net/Products/Linux/Download/EBR-1000EP.html

Either someone will quickly find a way to read books also without that DRM limitation, or, perhaps even better, someone will compile a completely different OS from the Sony one.

Ok I am currently browsing the sources. It appears that the Librie uses a ARM-based Motorola DragonBall MX1 chip (with a ARM920T core). You can find more info here:
http://e-www.motorola.com/webapp/sps/site/taxonomy.jsp?nodeId=03GGqrsBSlyFFQZrDR

Interesting that Sony didn't pick a (much more common) Intel XScale chip instead.

I am surprised that anyone can be enthusiastic about this device after reading this review: stiff hardware buttons, hard to turn pages, delays, limited formats, just 400 titles, the need to rent books, and on and on... I wouldn't touch it - great screen or no - especially because it is not also a PDA. This device will not make it. Philippe Radley

radleyp, I agree with you that the first review is pointing out some severe drawbacks. However I think you should also not forget the greatest thing about it it - its display. Some people, like myself, use their PDA 90% of all times for book reading. A almost-1sec-delay when turning pages I can live with; it also takes some time to turn the page of a paper book.

I am almost sure I will buy the device, under one circumstance: that someone will manage to write a software that allows you to convert your *own* html texts to the ebook format the Librie understands. Then I don't care about the 400 whatsoever book titles currently available in Japan.

I am 69 years old, and I too read on my PDA (a T3). I have looked at other screens, including those on PPC units, and they too are good for reading. Moreover, I read a lot more than html-formatted texts, for example those on PalmDigital (which is where I get current books), and I read in a number of different languages. I have a PDA on which I can read because I don't want to carry two devices.

As certain as you are that you will buy this (if html converts to its format) I am certain that I will not. Why would you rush? There are other screens coming out (including the allegedly terrific organic ones), which will be incorporated into existing PDA's. Philippe Radley

Hi Philippe,

The big question is, when will these new screens come out? Currently, e-ink technology is only ready in production for b&w/greyscale. So how long will it take till new battery-saving screens (and I am not talking about saving just an hour or so) with better screen quality than LCD will be available for consumer PDAs?

I agree with you, PDAs can be used for reading, and I have been doing that for a long time. But honestly, I am a little bit worried for my eyes. I already wear glasses, and I don't think that reading from a tiny LCD screen with a bad contrast does much to the improvement of my eye condition. I rather spend $300 now and go with the Librie, even if a better device with better capabilites will come out some time later, knowing that I will do good for my eyes.

As I agreed with you before, as long as there is no option to use other book sources than the official Sony book library, I am not going to buy the reader. But once there is, I don't really see a reason, at least in my case, for not buying it. The fact that you cannot read PalmDigital books on the Librie is not the Librie's fault, but PalmDigital's - for providing a closed proprietary book format. If those companies would finally agree to go with an open-source format, everything would be much brighter!

Greets
Alex

Interesting article (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4880556/) on ebooks at MSNBC. The question: Is this finally the beginning of the end of paper?
The answer is closer to "yes" than you may think. The holdup so far has been user-unfriendly screens, but now e-paper no longer relies on back-lit displays. A reflective display is easy on the eyes, with twice the contrast of computer screens and up to six times the brightness. It uses power only when changing the page, so a battery can last 300 hours. Several firms are vying for leadership. The Philip's display on Librie uses technology from Massachusetts-based E-Ink Corp. An electric charge moves either black or white capsules to the surface of the page in patterns that form images. Gyricon Media, a spin-off from Xerox, uses rotating balls with one black side and one white side for signs and billboards. Other companies are focusing on improvements in liquid-crystal displays. Philips' electrowetting is still "a wild card," says Peter Wierenga, head of display research.

The next challenge is to add color. One option for books would be a simple color filter, but that would block two thirds of the light. Guofu Zhou, who runs the E-ink project for Philips, thinks products with colored ink can be ready for the market within seven years. He's now focusing on e-paper that can display 16 or more gradations of gray, which would come in handy in medical imaging or to display black-and-white photographs at home.

E-paper could save newspapers a bundle on printing and distribution. In 10 years 12 percent of newspapers could be published on e-paper, says Harald Ritter, technology chief for Ifra, the publisher's group; eventually they'll all follow suit, just as the recording industry dropped vinyl. "In 20 to 30 years we will see newspaper publishers abandon print for economic reasons," says Roger Fidler, director of the Center for Cyber Information at Kent State University.

i was an intern in philips research and have actually seen the screens. They are very good, even in direct sunlight, it is indeed a good implementation of e-paper

You know, I think what will really sell (IMHO) is a PDA device that uses E-paper as its screen! Either that or spectacles manufacturers. :kid:

As it is now in this form, I won't buy it, because it's too big to put in my pocket, and it's too fragile for me to toss it around like a paperback.

You know, I think what will really sell (IMHO) is a PDA device that uses E-paper as its screen! Either that or spectacles manufacturers. :kid:
... which is most unlikely in near future, unfortunately ;( The reasons:

- current e-ink technology is only greyscale. In the labs, E INK has already a 4096 colors version, but who knows when this one is ready for market - and 4096 colors is still not enough to replace today's LCD technology in PDAs

- slooooooow refresh rate. They have to fix this or it will never be useable for anything but advertising and promotional displays.

I live in japan so I see this screen on a weekly basis at the local electronic shows. It looks really really good. The only problem is when looking at things like comic books which use alot of the black pixel the picture seems to ghost on the next page. I belive this has to do with that slow refresh rate. I didnt notice it when looking at a normal story book without pics, only when I was looking at the manga. But if they could fix that and market the libre for what someone said earlier on this board, for $70 then they might get some customers.